Bella

I woke with a headache but found two Tylenol and a glass of water on my bedside table. I wonder who left them for me. I have no idea what time it is but today is my very last day human. I'm quick to take a shower and brush the bad taste out of my mouth. I get dressed a little more slowly. Remembering that Demetri said he needs to bite my inner thigh for the quickest transformation. I go through my clothing. I brought one dress with me. I intended to change into it to see the Masters for the first time but now, I think it will be appropriate for today.

As I slide the dress over my head my nerves start to get the better of me. I take deep breaths to calm myself, and slide on my ballet flats. I hadn't been reading for minutes before there was a knock on my door.

I open it to find Demetri there. He must have talked to Felix because he has a big plate of pancakes and sausage with him. I sit at the little table and begin to eat. Demetri sits across from me. I eat in quiet and then when I am finished I put down my fork and knife and look in Demetri's freshly fed eyes.

I don't know why it doesn't bother me and I couldn't tell you but it doesn't. I knew that this decision would take away my feeding preferences and I guess I've accepted it.

I smile at him. "Good morning Master Demetri. I guess I'm not up to playing drinking games with vampires yet."

"You will be soon. Never fear. Barring your early night in bed did you have fun yesterday?"

"Oh I did." I enthused. "Felix took me to a wonderful dinner and we chatted about all sorts of things. Then I get back to the castle and run into you. Then the game and my late night."

"You mentioned before you fell asleep last night that I should ask you what you want to remember today."

"That's right and I had forgotten all about that. I want to remember growing up with my mom, Rene. I want to remember the Phoenix sunshine. I want to remember my Dad, Charlie. Charlie is chief of police in Forks Washington. I want to remember my friend, Jacob Black and how him and his pack of wolves saved my life. P want to remember to never trust the Cullens. I don't want to make the same mistakes as a vampire that I made as a human and believe anything they say."

"And what did the Cullens do, Bella, that has you so firmly against them?"

"They acted like they were my family. They called me family, then the first time Jasper takes a snap at me they abandoned me like I was an old toy. They left me with two vampires after me and no way to reach them for help. They called me daughter and sister and then they treated me like garbage. No note, no goodbye, just a disappearing act and Edward breaking my world apart."

"And do you want to see them punished for their behavior Bella? That is part of my position here. I could have them brought up on charges."

"Yes, and no. I don't want to see them killed but I would like to see them removed from human society so the next human Edward takes advantage of doesn't have to experience what I did."

"You are a very fair minded person, Bella."

"They've proved they can't be trusted to be humane let alone pass as human. I don't think they deserve the human world and the human world definitely doesn't deserve them."

"So what happened with the pack of shape shifters that call the Quilute reservation home?"

"It was after the Cullens had left I started becoming closer friends with Jacob Black. Then he changed in to a shape shifter. Victoria and Laurent were still hunting me but I didn't know it. The pack protected me at my house and school and followed me when I made a useless trip to Edward's meadow. It was a place we used to go when it was sunny out and he had to stay out of the public eye. I made the trip alone, I thought, but when I got there, Laurent was there. He said a lot of things about how he would kill me painlessly which I should be grateful for because Victoria wanted to make my end painful. Then, there was the pack. Laurent ran but he didn't escape. He was ready to kill me when they arrived and they killed him for it. After that I was being guarded constantly, with Jake or one or two of the other wolves, even with their imprints while they guarded the trible. I owe my life to those wolves and if there is ever anything I can do for them I want to know so that I can do it."

"What happened to Victoria, Bella?" Demetri asked me.

She is still out there harassing the wolves as far as I know, trying to get to me."

"So what brought all of this on? Why did these vampires fixate on you?"

"It all started with a ballgame. James, Victoria's mate decided to hunt me. He was a tracker and he figured out all of my plans to escape him and found me in Phoenix. It ended with him convincing me he had my mother and me going to him on the slim hope that I could save her. He didn't really have her but he beat me up a lot. I had a cracked skull, broken ribs, and broken leg and he bit me." I pulled up my left sleeve so he could see the bite mark. "Edward sucked the venom out of the bite because he wanted me to stay human."

"Why did this James person want you?" Demetri asked quietly.

"James was a tracker that liked to play with his food. He thought I would be the perfect game because I was surrounded by such a large coven. I would be a challenge for him. I turned out to be too big of a challenge because Emmett and Jasper tore him to pieces and burned down my old ballet studio to cover up the evidence of the fight. They convinced my father that I had fallen down two flights of stairs and through a window to explain my injuries. I still don't know how they pulled that off. Charlie is usually such a good cop and he bought the lie so easily."

"They probably dazzled him into believing it. Don't worry Bella, after you are changed, I will send out men to make sure Victoria can never threaten you again."

"Thank you Demetri, you really are kind to me."

"Would it scare you to know that I am a tracker too, Bella?"

"Of course not, why would it. And if you're head of the guard I bet you're the best tracker that there is."

"I am Bella, but like with the other gifts here I can't track you."

"That isn't a problem. Once I'm Volturi I don't intend to be that far away."

"So is there anything else you want to remember.?"

"I don't want to forget you or Felix, or any of the elite guards. I'd like to remember my time here before I was changed."

Why don't we go get you another slice of cake and then get down to the business of making you immortal.

"Can we skip the cake? My tummy is too much in knots to appreciate it right now and I'm starting to get very nervous."

"As the lady wishes. We are going to go to a very unused portion of the castle to change you Bella, I don't want you to be more uncomfortable than necessary during the change but I also don't want to accidentally hurt someone. Males get very protective when a female is undergoing the change and trying to protect them can be dangerous for anyone who would accidentally approach. Follow me."

We walked through a maze of hallways until we came to a staircase lit only by the occasional lit torch. We went down, and down, forever it seemed. Then we were finally at the bottom.

"What is this place?" I asked as we walked into solid darkness.

"This is the catacombs Bella. It is where you will change and have your first meal afterward."

"I'm getting a little scared Demetri, I can't see anything around us."

"Trust me," Demetri said, scooping my up in his arms and carrying me down a pitch black passageway.

Eventually we came to a door. I couldn't tell you if it was the only door in the blackness but it was the one Demetri decided to open. Inside there was a bare twin bed and pillow. I could just barely make them out.

"Relax, now. I've got you" Demetri said "and I will be with you the entire time."

Before I could comment. Before I could take a few deep breaths to slow my racing pulse Demetri brushed aside my hair and bit my throat. I could feel him drinking. The cold seemed to seep into my bones. Then fire replaced the heat.

Demetri

I knew as my teeth pierced her skin and her sweet blood caressed my tongue that she was mine. My mate. I'd finally found her. I was no longer alone. I swallowed and swallowed again. I wanted my scent mixed with hers. Then I pumped venom into the wound. My mouth filled to over flowing with it.

After I sealed that bite I took her wrists and bit them as well.

Sliding her skirt up her knees I parted her thighs and bit each of them as well. Last, her ankles. She had as much venom as it was possible for me to pump into her struggling body Her change would be as fast as I could make it, as I had promised her. Surprisingly there had been no urge to drink too much or too deeply. Her blood, though it was ambrosia, held none of the appeal for me to drink. What was important was my little mate changing in my arms.

After she was filled with my venom I went to the other side of the bed and got on behind her. I pulled her close to my stone cold body and wrapped a protective arm around her. It was nothing short of a miracle. I was no longer alone.

She seemed to be trying not to scream and though I marveled at her inner strength, I wanted to burn along with her.

"You can stop trying to be brave my little Bella. Scream if you need to. It's only the two of us down here and I won't think less of you."

"She opened her teeth then and screamed. I talked to her during every breath and she seemed to quieten again. I guess she preferred to hear my voice. I started reminding her of every moment that we had shared together, and all the things she wanted to remember. If my mate could be strong I could make sure she remembered everything.

Two days passed in this manner with Bella making only tiny whimpers of compliant as she changed and I spoke. I reminded her of each of the Elite guards and each memory she wanted to keep. I made sure to only reiterate what she had told me, not to add my own opinions. It was possible to change what a newborn thought if you said something enough during the change and I didn't want her any different. I might want to see the entire Cullen family burned but she didn't and I wouldn't make her think she did. My mate deserved respect, she deserved loyalty. She deserved family.

I would have seen them all put to death for their treatment of her but she, well she only wanted them taken out of human society so that they didn't repeat their treatment of her with some other defenseless girl. I would see that she got the justice that she wanted. She didn't know that I could arrange for that or that it would absolutely kill the spirit of the 'father' figure Carlisle. His entire self worth was of the good familiy doctor image he portrayed.

"It's almost over now my Bella," I coached her as her heartbeat began to speed. "Scream if you need to but I'm right here. I'll always be right here for you."

She twisted and turned contorting in ways that no body with stone skin and bones should be able to mimic. I got up from the bed and moved to intercept her at the doorway. But she didn't fly at me trying to chew off my face as most newborns do. Instead she lay there and breathed deeply one time.

Her eyes snapped open and she blinked them until she could see clearly then she simply stood up.

"Master Demetri," She sang as she ran to jump into my arms.

"There is no need to call me Master any more my Bella, you are my mate, my equal. My life."

"I hoped that I would be," she said. "I dreamed I was your mate but I didn't even bother to let myself hope when I was awake."

I stood their dumbly. She was so rational, so put together, able to keep to a train of thought and express herself. I asked her the first thing I thought of. "Are you hungry?"

"Is that the burning in my throat?" She asked calmly and I was further amazed by her. She nodded.

"This way my Bella," I took her hand for the first time and led her from the room. Deeper into the catacombs where her dinner awaited us.